NASA Scientists to Use Submarines to Hunt For Meteorite Remains

The Nautilus research ship of the non-profit group Ocean Exploration Trust (OET) will aid in the scavenger hunt.

NASA Scientists to Use Submarines to Hunt For Meteorite Remains (photo for representation)

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Scientists from several organisations in the US, including NASA, are planning to use remote-operated submarines to hunt for the remains of an outer space object -- believed to be a meteorite -- that splashed down into the Pacific Ocean on March 7, the media reported. The Nautilus research ship of the non-profit group Ocean Exploration Trust (OET) will aid in the scavenger hunt, Digitaltrends.com reported on Sunday.

Joined by scientists from NASA, the University of Washington and the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, the Nautilus will use remote-operated submarines to survey the area and collect any fragments they find, it added. When the outer space object entered the Pacific Ocean, a bright flash lit up the sky and a tremendous boom rattled the residents of Ocean Shores, Washington.

They initially thought it was a spaceship, but from analysis of radar signals, NASA's cosmic dust sample curator Marc Fries concluded it was a meteorite about the size of a golf cart. Scientists believe that about two tonnes of fragments are up for grabs. Some of these fragments could be as large as a brick and they could be scattered over a half-mile of the sea floor.

The remote submarine dive is scheduled for later on Monday, the report said.